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City To Create Earthquake Safety Rating System For Buildings
Earthquake damage in Pomona in 2008 (Photo by sundogg via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
In his first State of the City speech, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on Thursday that he is creating a rating system to measure the safety of buildings throughout the city in the event of a major earthquake. The rating system would be the first of its kind in the country and will be created under the expertise of USGS seismologist Lucy Jones, with whom Mayor Garcetti's administration partnered with back in January.
The announcement, which comes in the wake of two noteworthy minor earthquakes to hit the region recently, was also made in conjunction with plans to retrofit many of the older buildings in Los Angeles that have not yet been upgraded out of cost concerns, reports KPCC. Mayor Garcetti warned in his speech:
"Some critics say the cost of those upgrades may be high. But as we saw with Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, the cost of being unprepared is much higher."
Outside of the announcements, details on how either plans would work have yet to be released.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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